Wait…didn’t he say there were no health claims?

Turns out that Feinberg previously admitted the GCCF had received health claims, but they had all been denied due to lack of documentation.

“Feinberg says that the GCCF, which was set up by BP to compensate those impacted by its disaster in the Gulf, would theoretically grant health claims related to the cleanup effort. But he said he has, “reservations about whether those claimants can offer proof,” that the BP disaster caused their ailments.”

Which, of course, begs the obvious question…

“What proof do they need?,” asks Sean Kelley, a cleanup worker whose health claim was denied by Feinberg for insufficient documentation. Kelley had direct exposure to the oil. He removed oil from containment booms and laid boom for nearly two months along the Alabama and Mississippi coast. Kelley believes that exposure to BP’s crude oil caused a number of his current health problems, including nausea, headaches, rashes, blurred vision, infections, cardiac issues, and neurological problems like uncontrollable shaking in his limbs, memory loss, and brain fogs that last for hours. He had internal bleeding as well.

Kelley’s denied claim included medical bills from multiple doctor visits, and the results of a test showing his blood contains alarming levels of toxins that are found in BP’s crude oil.If it is going to reject claims like his, Kelley says, “[the GCCF] has to come out and say what link and documentation they need.”

Actually…as Ken has shown time and time again, he doesn’t.

Ken doesn’t answer to Gulf Coast residents at all, never has, nor is it likely Ken and the GCCF will ever come out and say what documentation is necessary to prove health claims for compensation from the fund because if they were to do so, then people who were sick might expect to be paid.

And what of the people who actually try to file for health claims anyway?

“John Bean decided to finally file his claim last Friday. Without health insurance, he is facing headaches, diarrhea, vision problems, and a rash that is, “driving me insane.” He decided to file because he needs the money for his medical care. But rather than helping him file a claim, Bean says a GCCF representative told him he had to file for workman’s compensation with the cleanup subcontractor he worked for.”

Perhaps, by once again working very hard to narrow the spectrum of British Petroleum’s liability, Feinberg is simply trying to angle for another raise.